bloom season & other ramblings

STUPID WEATHER:
This spring has been highly irritating to me so far.  We had nearly a week-long spell in April of temps in the 80's, followed by nearly 2 weeks of cold rainy weather with temps in the 40's and 50's.  And now we're back up into the 80's already, without any rain for more than a week.

My poor irises are barely lasting a day in this heat/drought wave.  Few of them have set pods.  The champion bloomer has to be I. odaesanensis again... the clump is still blooming after two weeks.  Iris pumila comes a close second.

Some TB's are about to bloom.  On other TBs I can feel the buds way down in the base of the fan.  I think they are as confused by this weather as I am.

NEW BLOOMS:
Iris koreana bloomed for the first time for me this year, and I think I bought it 4 years ago.  Happily it is one of the few that is producing seed pods.  They are all bee pods, but I'm sure SIGNA will be happy to get them for this year's exchange.

Sisyrhinchium (or however you spell it) is blooming for me right now.  I'll post some photos later.  Right now the camera is set up on a tripod trying to get time-lapse of an arilbred blooming.  Unfortunately I might be a day early!  I thought for sure the bud was going to open, but now it's 3:30pm and it's still just sitting there.

NO BLOOMS:
I'm most frustrated that it seems yet another year must go by before some of my seedlings will give their maiden bloom.  This hybridizing is for the birds!  Some of these punks are 5 years old, and still not going to bloom!??  Harrumph!  In their defense, they have been moved & replanted twice in their little lifetimes, but I mean come on.  Any 5 year old iris ought to bloom!

NEW FRIENDS:
My garden is now home to at least one, possibly two, adult garter snakes.  I almost stepped on one yesterday and it scared the hell out of both of us!  It recoiled like a classic snake would do, and I think I jumped 20 feet in the air.  LOL.

GIVE ME WATER:
I obtained 4 pcs of native Iris versicolor from a plant sale last year.  I put two in sunken pots in my pond, and I put two in the ground in a wetter than average bed.  The submerged versicolors increased like gangbusters and have super tall foliage now.  The other two are barely breaking dormancy, and have almost no increase.

BOG VS. POND:
As with the versicolors mentioned above, I have Louisianas both in the pond and also in bog gardens.  The bog gardens are over run with weeds, and the LAs are okay.  Their submerged counterparts are absolutely thriving and require no weeding whatsoever!  (I think the bog gardens are going to get converted back to lawn this season.  Talk about high maintenance!!

Well, that's enough rambling for now.....  pictures to come soon.

Dennis in Cincy

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